Shingle Styles: Innovation and Tradition in American Architecture 1874 to 1982

"Shingle Styles" is a treasure trove of architectural images and ideas. We are planning a new house inspired by the Shingle Style and this book has been most helpful in talking to our architect and contractor. The more recent houses are particularly helpful in thinking about adapting a historic style to our contemporary needs.

This is a wonderful book. The photos are sublime--going well beyond mere structural illustration and explanation to capture the spirit of the original design. The text gives grounding information about the evolution and permutations of what has come to be called Shingle Style and examines 30 structures, both familiar and unfamiliar. Roth recounts not only the training and shaping influences of the architects who designed these, but also provides such information as the circumstances surrounding the original project, a bit of social history, or the preservation efforts of present-day heirs. The presentation is thorough without being overwhelming or deadly, dryly academic. Morgan's wonderfully poetic photos take a similar approach: conveying not only the architecture of the whole, but also revealing the telling detail. I liked the inclusion of modern-day exemplars of this American style.

"Shingle Styles" makes a great companion volume to Vincent Scully's "The Shingle Style". The lack of plans here didn't bother me because Scully's book has so many. Architects like Stanford White conceived of these buildings in 3D and presented them in 3D sketches and vignettes, and "Shingle Styles" takes a similar pictorial approach. Almost like the old sketches, the color photographs show the 3D reality of the buildings, and the play of natural light across their textured surfaces. "Shingle Styles" goes beyond Scully's book to include great examples across the U.S., and also some examples of modern houses inspired by the Shingle Style. I especially enjoyed learning of the 1982 recreation of "Kragsyde", one of the long-lost ultimate Shingle Style houses.

"Shingle Styles" is a fine demonstration of the endurance of this popular form of architecture. I enjoyed learning about the families who commissioned the houses. And I was fascinated to read of a time when architects and craftsmen worked side by side in the creation of these structures. The photographs wonderfully represent the intricate craft of each structure, and give a sense, too, of the lives lived within them. As a designer, I keep books of this caliber next to my desk to be inspired by the details.

It is the photography that will stay with you long after you close the covers of this book. The text is informative but the pictures tell the true story--moody and rich and full of surprises. There is a haunting sense that arises from practically every page. A book that exalts architecture with top-notch photography. Terrific!